The Selection Course
by Spottedeyes
Summary: The day Mira has dreaded has come. She will evolve only to be thrown into the deadly 'Selection Course'. And to make matters worse, Mira has a disability that could cost her the game. And her life... (Inspired by the hunger games)
1. Chapter 1

The Selection Course

**Ok so the 'Selection Course' is inspired by the Hunger Games, but it's different. There are no people, just Pokémon. (This focuses on Eevee and its evolutions) Hope you like it :)**

What should be a happy day for Mira, it being her evolution day, was grim.

For Mira was leaving her innocence that was her refuge from day one behind, evolution for an eevee was like a pidove hatchling breaking from its shell.

It becomes exposed to the elements, to pain, to emotion, to life itself.

You either make nature's cut or you don't.

There is no room for the weak.

Not in Mira's world, not in any world.

You kill or be killed.

It's the basics of living.

As soon as Mira's aura is identified she will enter her very own, personal living hell known to most as 'The Selection Course'.

A cruel 'game' if you would call it.

Seven biomes.

Each with limited resources, you run out of food (or even water depending on your biome) you will most likely have to kill other participants of the sick course to secure your own survival for that moment in time.

Why does such a course exist?

The Kingdom of Aura wants only real eeveelutions, only the ones that can fight and have a good survival mode to refer to in battle.

This is how the kingdom is rarely messed with and has never lost a war in the last seventy years, making 'The Selection Course' a welcomed event for those who have already survived the course themselves.

Even parents of the participants welcome it.

For they never actually meet their children until they come out of the games (dead or alive).

Only the royals get to raise their children up until the games.

As soon as an egg is created, it is taken to one of three base camps in the forest and raised by a hand-full of other Pokémon.

It just makes things easier.

Some may call such a harsh game like this madness, they call it self disposal.

The weak dispose of themselves while the strong triumph over the weak and thrive in the harshness of the game.

Even the royalty have their children participate; for a weak king or queen is like having a weak core: cores are what stabilize the body, having a weak core causes one to slouch, to appear weakened.

A weakened core is just a kingdom waiting to trip and fall.

"Now Mira, give me your right paw. If you must then look away." The Espeon directed, her voice emotionless.

My eyes strayed to my deformed right paw, I tucked it more under me and offered my left instead.

"Your right paw, Mira." The Espeon repeated.

"But-"

"Now, Mira." Espeon growled.

I let out a squeak of submission and held out the twisted, deformed mess of a paw, tucking my good paw back.

The idea of a needle pricking me, especially on my bad paw made me cringe in fear.

I turned my head away, my ears flattened in nervousness as I slowly complied.

I drew in a deep breath and forced myself to stop shaking and loosen up so the psychic Pokémon could do her job.

To distract myself from the needle about to be lodged into my skin, I looked to the sign at the camp entrance.

The sign's print was worn and washed away from countless thunder storms and from just time itself 'Camp .03' it read.

A sharp jab to my paw caused me to flinch, the deformed paw being extremely sensitive to touch or pressure. I was born with the disaster, making my chances of surviving the course go from a fifty percent chance to around a two percent chance.

Everyone at the camp would look sadly and sympathetically at me anytime I clumsily walked around camp or around the forest.

I would hear them murmur to one another about how I would die in the games, some of the crueler members would make up 'death scenarios' that could happen to me in the games.

Everyone says I won't last more than a few days, if even.

Did it sadden me?

Yes and no.

I don't want to die, but I don't want to live under the kingdom's rule that makes its own subjects fight one another to the death for food and other resources.

My eyes peered innocently at the blood that was drawn from me, now enslaved by the Espeon's psychic attack.

Espeon guided the loose blood into a bottle of water, shaking the bottle vigorously until water and blood became one. "Um miss, why did you prick my bad paw?" I asked, licking the small bloody mark on my twisted paw.

The psychic Pokémon didn't answer immediately.

"Miss?"

"Your weakness is where yourself truly lies, believe it or not, it is the purest part of you." She answered, not looking at me.

I nodded, looking at my twisted paw, unable to imagine that my purest point would be this monstrosity.

My eyes gave a glimmer of excitement as Espeon carried the bottle to the special sundial that lay in the center of camp.

This sundial had been used for centuries to determine the auras of the soon to evolve eevee.

It was mystifying how it worked: all it takes is for a trained psychic Pokémon to place a single drop of mixed blood and water in its center.

The true colors of the Pokémon with its blood drawn is then revealed.

My eyes watched my drop of blood change colors rapidly from black, to red, to yellow, to purple, to a deep blue, to green, to a light blue over and over again, the colors slowed a tad, now going from black, to red, to yellow, to green, to a deep blue.

_Please Arceus have mercy on me! _ I murmured to myself, praying that the aura test would give me an eeveelution that I could work with.

The colors slowed once more, going from black, to yellow, to green.

_Here comes the final two. _I thought, excitement creeping into my brain.

It slowed even more, going now from yellow to green.

The ceremony reminded me of a dying heart, it goes quickly at first, then it slows until it's final beat.

Finally, it stopped.

The drop was half yellow, half green.

"Your aura is split into two. Quite rare. It seems that you are most like a jolteon or a leafeon. Which evolution would you like?" She asked quietly.

A big part of me wanted to pick jolteon so I could run faster than light, I hadn't ever run before.

My eyes strayed to my bad paw.

I remembered the words that had been ushered when I had been checked over after my hatching: _'We won't abandon this one, for there is a chance that her paw will correct itself during evolution, it isn't guaranteed though.' _ There was only a chance that my deformed paw would reform during the evolution process, if it doesn't and I pick jolteon (a Pokémon that relies on its speed) than I'm screwed.

I thought about my other option: leafeon.

The idea of being more flora than fauna was a little creepy in my opinion, but at least they can blend in more, and they can learn magical leaf: the move that never misses.

Leafeon seemed like a much more logical choice. "I pick leafeon." I decided.

The espeon nodded, sliding a shard of a mossy rock towards me.

I inhaled deeply before touching my nose to the rock.

Bursts of energy and adrenaline filled my body, making me feel invincible as the light of evolution engulfed me.

My confidence however was short lived.

The light quickly faded out, revealing my new form.

My eyes twinkled in disappointment as I saw that my paw was still twisted and disturbing to the eye.

Murmurs of sympathy sounded from the watching crowd.

_I'm gonna …die._

**How'd I do? **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Enter the course

Spasms of fear racked my body, making sleeping impossible. My bushy tail wrapped more tightly around my body in an attempt to get more comfortable. I had trained for the rest of the day after my ceremony. I knew Razor leaf, vine whip, synthesis, magical leaf, energy ball, tackle, shadow ball, and take down. But no amount of training can make you feel at ease when you know you're at death's door step. The dreaded course starts tomorrow, precisely why I don't want sleep to ever overcome me.

_I can't be exhausted during the games! _I crudely reminded myself, clamping my eyes shut. I squirmed in frustration when sleep didn't come as quickly as I had hoped. I quickly gave up and got to my paws, carefully tucking my bad paw against my stomach. Outside the small mud hut that I had called home since I was hatched, the darkness was very consuming. It seemed that my night vision had faltered when I evolved, meaning that I'd have to be extra careful when I traveled at night.

I feebly limped through the darkness, using my vine whip to feel the ground in front of me before I walked. My ears were pricked, listening for any noise that could indicate danger. The eeveelution kingdoms typically left our camps out here alone, but other Pokémon didn't respect us like they do. Purloin are typical trespassers, and with their superior night vision, if one is out here it definitely has the advantage. I shivered as a cold breeze ruffled my short fur. I looked into the distance towards the Kingdom of Aura, the castle's tip poking out of the forest. _The royals are total fibbers. They may say that their children participate, but I know they don't. _I growled, my eyes narrowing anger and envy.

My tail gave a flick of annoyance before I continued on my walk. The moon was full and bright, the center piece of the sky; it's beauty enhanced by the stars that dotted the black sky around it. I couldn't help but to sit down and look at the entrancing sky for a moment. The howl of a Mightyena sounded in the distance, making my fur stand up. I stiffened, my eyes widening in alarm even though I knew the Pokémon was miles and miles away from me. And on that note, I limped back to my hut.

Meanwhile… at the top of the Aura Kingdom's castle…

A pristine full moon was the center piece of the sky, stars enhancing its beauty. My older brother, Derek, a Vaporeon who had evolved only hours ago placed his blue paw on my shoulders. I scooted a little closer to him, my nerves getting the better of me. I watched my eldest brother, a shiny eevee clamber onto the sundial on the roof of the castle, his silver fur bathed in moonlight.

"Good luck, Jett." I murmured, not taking my eyes off him. The three of us were the heirs of the Aura kingdom's throne. Jett being the oldest, (so if we all make it out of 'The Selection Course' alive he'll take over as king) Derek being the middle child, (So if Jett dies he'll become king) and then there's me, the youngest.

I watched in awe as Jett's silvery fur cloaked itself in light, his body nearly tripling in size. When the light faded, Jett's new form was revealed: He was as big as our father, his eyes a light amber color, and he was decorated with eye-catching blue rings on his shoulders, hips, forehead, and tail. Jett jumped off the sundial and gestured for me to get on the dial. I hesitated before leaving my two brothers behind, scrambling determinedly to the top of the large sundial.

Soon my brown fur became silver in the moonlight, I braced myself for evolution to take place. Soon I became cloaked in the same veil of light that Derek and Jett had been eaten alive by. Strength and confidence flooded my body, at that moment I knew that no matter happened in that course, no matter how gruesome or deadly, I would survive.

Just as quickly as the light had engulfed me, it left. Taking all of the extra confidence and strength with it. I looked myself over, I was only a little smaller than Jett, and my belts of light on my shoulders, tail, and forehead were yellow rather than blue. I assumed that my eyes were the typical blood-red. I stepped off the dial with ease, my new size coming in handy. Queen Anna, an espeon and my mother, nodded in approval. King Kurai, an Umbreon and my father, looked proudly at the three of us. _The three of us will survive. _

Sunlight pierced my eyes, forcing them to open. Dread quickly overcame me, today was the day that I'd surely die. I nervously shuffled my front paws, wincing at the unbearable pain that came with fiddling with the twisted paw. I inhaled deeply before hesitantly making my way into the clearing. I sat beside a Glaceon. He gave me a grim, yet good natured smile. I gave a faint smile in return. "Good luck." He whispered. "You too." I replied, my voice shaky and hushed.

Part of me wishes that I was allowed to socialize with the other camp residents, but due to my twisted paw, I was considered a disgrace to the others and was forbidden to talk to anyone but the Espeon that had done my aura test. I wasn't allowed to know her name, she never really showed any emotion when she talked to me either.

It definitely hurt a little, knowing how much of an outcast I really was. Feeling comforted from the Glaceon's friendly vive, I loosened up a little and scooted closer to him. Finally, the readings started. When our name is called, we have to come to the front and get banded. That way if we die, our bodies can be identified after the fact. Then we were led to the arena.

My paws began to shuffle nervously once more, my bad paw throbbing at the feeling of touch and pressure as the name caller got closer to my name on the list. "Tyler Brooks." The name caller announced, his tone emotionless. The Glaceon that I had sat beside got up and trotted stiffly to the front. An ice-blue band was snapped onto his front leg just above the elbow. He gave a curt nod to the bander and hesitantly followed the trail that led to the arena.

A few more names had been called before my name was called. "Mira Cleaves." My name echoed in my ears. I slowly got to my paws, my ears flattened in fear and my body shaking as I trudged towards the caller and the bander. A cream colored band was snapped onto my front left leg just above the elbow just like everyone else's. "Follow the trail and don't you dare stray off the path or we will find you and we will personally kill you." The bander growled, shoving me towards the trail. Trying not to cry, I nodded and followed the narrow trail.

My eyes widened as the arena came into view: it was many acres of very different terrain, surrounded with the Kingdom's state of the art electric barbed wire which contained enough electricity to knock out a garados with a single shock. _Well escape's out of the question. _I muttered to myself. I wanted to sit down very badly, for when I walked for too long my good front paw would start to throb and pulsate angrily from all the weight that is thrown on it from walking.

"Go in here with the others." A well muscled Umbreon growled, flicking his tail to the entrance of the arena: a small barbed wire cage. Once everyone squeezed inside, the doors would be opened and the games would officially begin. I took a deep breath and complied. _All I have to do is make it to the opposite side of the arena and ring the bell, then I'm home free. _

But the arena being about seventy acres of land, it would take at least a few weeks to make it to the other side. _A few weeks of finding enough food, hiding from enemies, getting shelter for the night, drinking enough water, and dealing with the possibility of getting ill. I probably won't make it through this. _I reminded myself crudely, waiting anxiously for the gates to open. A loud voice sounded over the arena: _"Let the games begin!" _The gates slowly parted.

All of the newly evolved Pokémon including me bolted out of the small space and into the arena. I instinctively limped quickly towards the forest, being the only place that I could easily blend into.

I had been wandering aimlessly through the forest for about an hour, my ears pricked for danger. I was constantly scenting the air, but the wind was blowing downwind, so if anyone was following me I would have no idea. My eyes darted from left to right constantly, checking for rustling bushes.

Twigs snapped and leaves crunched behind me. I whipped around only to have at least forty pounds of weight dropped on me. I screamed, struggling to stand up. I quickly identified my attacker: a jolteon. My heart was beating faster than I thought was possible. He snarled at me, his fangs bared. "T-the games just started! Resources aren't limited yet! Please don't kill me!" I pleaded, fear and desperation welling up in my gaze. "Ah but where's the fun in waiting? Besides resources will become limited later, Leafeon." The Jolteon laughed, electricity building up in his teeth. _Thunder fang! _I realized, knowing that if the attack was used on my throat I was done for. I wanted to fight back, but fear paralyzed me. _This is the end of Mira Cleaves. _I thought, looking away.

Suddenly, a blue blur darted out from the bushes, shoving the angry jolteon off me. I looked up to see the same glaceon that I had met earlier fighting with my attacker. He quickly froze one of the jolteon's paws to the ground, immobilizing the blood thirsty Pokémon. The Glaceon came to my side and lifted me back to my paws by my scruff. "Come on!" He yelled, sprinting deeper into the forest. I nodded hastily and followed my rescuer. "I will kill you both!" The jolteon screeched, frantically trying to free himself.

The adrenaline caused me to use all four of my paws, my throbbing paw pains forgotten. "Hurry up! Once he gets free he'll have no problem catching up to us!" The Glaceon panted, forcing himself to go faster. I did the same.

The Glaceon skidded to a stop. "Wait! Can you use vine whip?" He asked, catching his breath.

I nodded. "Yes." "Then use it to lift yourself into the trees!" He snapped. I nodded, lifting myself into one of the many large trees. After I got up, I helped the ice type into the trees as well. "Thanks." He breathed, sitting down.

"Why are you thanking me? I would be dead if you didn't come along." I wheezed, still catching my breath. "Who are you?" He asked, looking at me curiously. "I'm Mira." I replied, wincing as the unbearable pain from my bad paw caught up with me. He nodded. "Who are-" "Tyler. My name is Tyler." Tyler interrupted me mid sentence.

We sat in silence for a while. His eyes strayed to my paw. "What's with your paw?" Tyler asked, eyeing it suspiciously. "It's deformed." I mumbled, tucking my paw further underneath me. "Oh." "Um why aren't you in the ice biome?" I asked. "Because I'd make easy prey for any Flareon who decided to go there." "But grass types-" "I know, but all the trees and shrubs make it easy to hide." I nodded, not pushing anymore answers.

**Whoa! This one way waaaay long!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An alliance

**Hey guys! Ok so I've decided that what you are reading is merely a rough draft, after I've finished ****'The Selection Course'**** I will begin to edit it more closely and rewrite some poorly written parts of the story. So… yeah. Enjoy! **

Orange and purple clouded around the falling sun, the sky slowly but surely darkening with every passing minute. I wanted to be able to trust Tyler, but for all I know this could be a part of his strategy. First, save my life and be nice to me, then as soon as I fall asleep, he kills me. The glaceon also has a major advantage over me so if he turns on my I definitely won't make it.

I know that the jolteon who tried to kill me a couple of hours earlier was still around, so I wasn't going to dare go on the ground. "So… why haven't I ever seen you around the camp before?" Tyler asked, breaking our long silence. I shuffled my paws uncomfortably before replying, "I wasn't allowed to socialize with anyone but the espeon who performs the aura tests because my paw's messed up. I am considered a disgrace." I murmured, my ears still listening for any other Pokémon. "Oh…" It just got awkward again.

I stiffened when the sun's dying light disappeared. I flattened myself on the branch, wrapping my vines around the branch to ensure that I wouldn't fall off. Tyler tilted his head slightly to the left and squinted at me. "What are you doing?" "Um… I can't really um you know, SEE very well at night…" I mumbled, digging my claws into the smooth, damp bark. "I can't see very well either but am I strapped to a tree? Am I-" "Ok I get it!" I snapped, my temper getting the better of me.

The chattering of Noctowl and the chirping of Kricketot soon became the only noise that I heard, the moon's gentle yet dimmed light being the only source of light. The familiar chilling night breeze that came just about every other summer night ruffling my pelt. It soothed me, yet caused me discomfort.

"Hey, Tyler?" I whispered. "Yeah?" "Promise you won't kill me tonight?" I asked fearfully. "I promise." Silence reigned over us for about thirty seconds. "Promise you won't kill me either?" He asked, laying down. I gave a weak smile. "I don't think I could even if I tried." His quiet laughter was the last thing I heard before I drifted into sleep.

"Hey guys it's getting a little dark out…" Derek whispered, sounding a little nervous. I nodded in agreement, looking to Jett for an idea. "I've got this." Jett smirked, the blue ring on his forehead shooting a pristine blue beam in front of him, lighting up a small area around us. "Great idea!" I beamed. "You can do it to you know, Ciar. You're an Umbreon too." Jett shrugged. "He's right! Give us some light Ciar!" Derek shouted. I smirked. "I've always known that you're afraid of the dark!" "Shut it!" "Well it's true!" "Is not!" "Is too-" "ENOUGH!" Jett snapped. Jett glared at me, then at Derek. "Ciar started it." Derek mumbled. I didn't reply. We walked in silence for the rest of the night.

**AU: Just wanted to say that Ciar and his brothers are walking along the edge of the forest**

I awoke still strapped to a tree, my claws still dug into the bark. Tyler sighed. "Finally! I've been waiting for you to get up for hours!" "Really?" "Nope. Just yanking your chain!" Tyler smirked. I glared at him as I retracted my claws and vines. "I hate you." I mumbled, sitting up. "Right…" He grinned. I slapped him in the face with a vine. "What was that for?!" Tyler snapped, rubbing the red mark on his face. I shrugged. "You were being a smart A so I slapped the look off your face." Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Alright, come on." He yawned, carefully reaching for another branch. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?!" I yelled, pulling him back onto the same branch as me with my vines. Tyler looked blankly at me. "Do you really think that we should be traveling on the ground after yesterday?" I muttered a little under my breath before replying. "Fine! But we're doing this a different way." "What are you talking about?" "Just watch me." I smirked, wrapping a vine around the branch that Tyler had attempted to cross. I gave the branch a firm tug, testing it to see if it could hold our weight. Then, I carefully switched branches, my vine still attached just in case. "That, is what I meant." I retorted, offering another vine to Tyler. He sighed in annoyance and allowed me to wrap the vine around his torso as he crossed. "Thanks." He mumbled, watching as I retracted my vine from his torso.

We continued to travel slowly, branch by branch. We crossed around five trees in an hour. "Look, I know we're taking the safe way and everything but is there any way to make this go any faster?" Tyler moaned, poking my shoulder. I rolled my eyes. "No Tyler, there's really no faster way to cross the trees ok?" "Oh! I could freeze us a path across the trees!" "You know I would really prefer not to slip and fall to my death today but thanks." I bluntly replied, testing the next branch. Tyler sighed. "Look I just don't want to stay here for too long. I really don't want to kill anyone or be killed." I nodded in agreement. "Again, I don't think I'd be able to kill no matter how hard I tried." I sighed, holding my twisted paw in front of my face. Tyler shrugged. "If we stay up here and keep moving then we should be fine." An awkward silence filled the air as we crossed onto another branch.

"Hey Tyler?" "Yeah?" "We- we're in an alliance… right?" I stuttered. Tyler looked bluntly at me. "Duh." I sighed in relief. _I might actually have a chance._

**Shorter chapter this time :( Oh well… anyways, hope you liked it!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Cold Blood

**This is honestly my most popular story I have ever written (next to Runaway) ! Six reviews already?! Awesome! **

"So do you think the forest is the most popular route?" I asked, testing the next branch. Tyler shook his head. "Considering that we've only seen a few Leafeon and Flareon so far I don't think so. I'd think that the canyon would be the most popular traveling route. There's plenty of crevices to hide in and there's a fast-flowing river that runs down the middle of it. So at the bottom of it it's kinda like an oasis, there's water, shade, and food." Tyler explained as I crossed onto the next tree. I nodded, my ears twitching to stay straight as a breeze blew across the forest.

"Still, I'm surprised that more aren't using the forest. There's plenty of shade and food and places to hide-" "Yes, but it's missing one crucial thing. Water." Tyler stated. My eyes narrowed. "Well then how do we seem to be finding streams left and right?" I asked skeptically. "Um… I've kinda been coming into this arena since I was first told of the Selection Course so I'd be prepared. Now I know most biome by heart, every twist, every turn. That's how we've been surviving." My eyes widened. "You've been what?!" I gasped, unable to believe that he had snuck into this horrid ring.

I opened my mouth to say more, but Tyler slapped his paw onto my mouth. "Sh!" He hushed me, "look." He whispered, looking at the ground. I nodded silently and followed his gaze. I let out a small, but muffled gasp, thanks to Tyler's paw. There, about to walk past the base of the tree that we sat in, was a Vaporeon, and two Umbreon. One of them was shiny, and all of them were males. Tyler slowly removed his paw from my face. My ears flattened against my head, my claws instinctively sinking into the tree bark. I slowly sunk until my stomach and chin rested on the tree bark. To my surprise, Tyler did the same. We both watched the trio carefully.

"Hey Derek do you know where a stream is around here? We're dying back here." The shiny Umbreon barked, looking at the Vaporeon. The Vaporeon shook his head. "No, sorry. I'm trying to find some though." He said curtly. "Come on, you're a water type who can't find water?" The normal Umbreon complained, his red eyes flashing in annoyance. The water type whipped around, clearly offended by his comment. "You try finding water, Ciar!" He snapped, slapping the Umbreon's face with his tail. _I'm glad Tyler and I get along…_ I thought to myself, looking at the focused ice type.

Noticing that Tyler had made his breathing slower and more shallow, I did the same, forcing my rapidly beating heart to slow until it was a fainter thumping. My breathing became nearly silent, making it easier to hide amongst the tree. "I don't think they see us." Tyler whispered, his eyes still following the trio. I nodded. Suddenly, the shiny Umbreon's amber eyes darted towards us, quickly narrowing. The other two quickly caught on, following his gaze until they found us. "What do we do?" I whimpered, panic pulsing through my veins. "Look, we're not looking for a fight, we want to survive as much as you do." Tyler said boldly, sitting up. I however, stayed pressed against the branch, only nodding slightly.

The shiny Umbreon, who seemed to be the leader of the group, opened his mouth to speak, only for someone else to beat him to it. "Well I am." The hair on my neck stood up as I recognized the owner of the voice. "No way… Arceus why him?" Tyler murmured, sympathy flashing his gaze for the unfortunate trio below them. The Jolteon who tried to kill me just weeks before stalked towards them, electricity foaming at his jaws. The two Umbreon quickly jumped in front of the Vaporeon, knowing he'd be the obvious target. I stood up. "Leave them alone!" I shrieked, not wanting to see cold blooded murder.

The Jolteon's focus turned to me, his eyes narrowed and a freakish grin was put on just for me. "Well, well, well, didn't think that you of all Pokémon would still be alive." The Jolteon laughed, sparks flying off his body. My body began to shake in fear, my claws sinking deeper into the wood. The Jolteon whipped his gaze to Tyler, who sat beside me. "Oh, mooching off of him eh? Not a bad strategy for a _cripple_ like you." He sneered. I felt Tyler's fur bristle defensively at his comment. I only flinched. The Jolteon turned back to the Umbreon and Vaporeon. "Which one of you wants to die first?" He snarled, blood lust gleaming in his soulless gaze.

Without hesitating, I threw an energy ball. The Jolteon easily dodged it with incredible speed, glaring at me. "Don't get in my way, Cripple." He snarled, using thunderbolt on the tree that we sat in. I felt hazy after being electrocuted, falling limp onto the ground along with Tyler. Tyler quickly leapt to his paws, using mirror coat as the Jolteon shot another blast of electricity at us, causing the attack to bounce back at Jolteon. Jolteon however, easily absorbed the electricity, shooting us a smirk. I gasped. "Volt absorb?" I gaped, forgetting that such an ability existed. Tyler quickly shot an ice beam at Jolteon's paw, hoping to immobilize him like last time. But Jolteon was ready, he leapt over the beam with ease. "I'm not falling for that again." He laughed.

My eyes narrowed as I regained my senses. "I'm about to make you a cripple!" I shouted, using magical leaf at Jolteon. Jolteon leapt of the way, thinking he had dodged it, only to have the glowing leaves smack into him. I smirked. "That's magical leaf: the move that doesn't miss." Jolteon quickly got to his paws, glaring at me, more electricity brimming in his jaws. He jumped high into the air, using take down from above, just missing me by an inch. I used vine whip, only to have Jolteon grab my vine in his teeth, pulling me forward. My scream was cut short as I landed face first into the ground. My paw burned with pain, blood and puss leaking from a wound that Jolteon had caused. Tears began to roll down my now scraped and dirty cheeks. Jolteon stood over me, the electricity at his jaws becoming more visible. "I'm surprised that you bested me, it won't happen again." He snarled, getting closer to my neck. Once again, the weight of the blood thirsty Pokémon was lifted off me, the normal Umbreon had shot a shadow ball at the Jolteon's head, causing him to stumble off me. My vision still blurry through the pain and tears, I could barely tell what was going on. I felt Tyler lift me to my paws by my scruff again, but this time I just fell back down.

**Ciar's POV**

"Arceus what have I done?" I mumbled, watching the Jolteon get to his paws, hatred for me gleaming in his eyes. Cloaking himself in electricity, the Jolteon hurtled himself at me. Forgetting about my brother behind me, I jumped, narrowly avoiding the powerful attack.

"HELP!" Derek's scream made me whip around to see the Jolteon ripping at my brothers neck, blood flew everywhere. Jett was desperately trying to pull the Jolteon off Derek with no success. Stunned, I watched in horror. A flash of blue darted in front of me. I quickly identified him to be the Glaceon who was with the Leafeon with the bad paw.

The Glaceon's momentum knocked Jolteon off my bleeding brother, the two now wrestling with each other: Ice versus Electricity. It seemed like electricity was winning. The Glaceon had frozen the Jolteon's ears, and the Jolteon had just about barbequed the Glaceon. "T-Tyler!" I heard the weakened Leafeon call weakly from the far end of the small clearing. I forced myself to ignore her feeble call.

"Derek!" I shouted, racing to my brother's side. My eyes widened and quickly filled with tears at the sight of Derek: He was covered in blood, his body still brimming with the Jolteon's electricity, and… his throat was… was laying _next_ to his head. "No… NO!" I screamed, beginning to sob. "J-Jett… what… what happened?!" I sobbed, staring at our decapitated brother. "He… he… he… I just couldn't… I couldn't get him away from Derek… not in time…" Jett whispered, trying not to let his tears escape his eyes with little success.

**Mira's POV**

I watched in pure horror as the Jolteon electrocuted Tyler over and over again, Tyler growing weaker with each blow. And here I was, about as useless as a stump, watching Tyler lose to that monster. I struggled to my paws, only to fall again. "T-Tyler!" I called out again, fear washing over me that I could lose my first and only friend. And something told me that if he was murdered I'd be next.

Then it hit me: Synthesis. I began to heal myself with the sun's energy and in seconds I was strong enough to at least limp to help Tyler. I fired another magical leaf at the Jolteon, knocking him to the ground, giving Tyler the advantage. He fought with the Jolteon for another five minutes, their moves getting more and more gruesome and deadly by the second. A good portion of Jolteon's face was frozen solid along with his shoulder, and Tyler was covered with electric burns and bites. They were both growing weaker by the second. The shiny Umbreon turned to me, tears in his eyes. "He's weak now… kill him… kill him so he can't hurt anyone else." He whispered.

I looked behind him to see the Vaporeon… bloody, decapitated, and very, very dead. I nodded shakily, taking my aim before throwing another magical leaf. It shattered the ice on his face, revealing the severe ice burns that Tyler had inflicted. The leaves only sliced his face up even more, damaging his left eye. He screamed out in pain, staggering away from Tyler, who had fallen to the ground, too weak to continue. I used one last energy ball, either killing or knocking the blood thirsty creature out.

I limped towards Tyler, who was currently bleeding out onto the grass. "Tyler?" I whispered, sitting down beside him. "M-Mira? That you?" He asked feebly, looking the wrong direction. I poked the back of his head. "Yeah, but I'm over here." I whispered, in an attempt not to cry. Tyler rolled his battered head towards me. "Why… why'd you do it? You knew that Vaporeon was going to die… yet you still tackled the Jolteon? Why?" I cried, tears rolling down my scraped and bloody face. "Because… after he killed the Vaporeon… he… he hated you so much… he would've come after you after that…" Tyler coughed, blood trickling from his jaw. I said nothing more, just cried. "Mira… go… go to the center… of the arena… there's a safe zone there… you can get medicine there… and food… the good stuff… and purified water… you can stay for the night there… just promise me… promise me you'll… you'll survive…" "Tyler… what are you saying?" "You know… you know that I'm dying…" "No… NO! You… you just can't… You're the first friend I ever had… don't… don't die…" I whimpered, not even noticing that the two Umbreon were watching me. "Your paw… it won't hold you back… I… I promise…" Tyler faintly smiled, a final glimmer twinkled in his eyes before they closed forever. "No… no… NO!" I sobbed, collapsing onto the ground beside him, balling my eyes out. "You had a better chance than I did at survival! And yet you died and I lived?!" I continued to sob, burying my face in his blood-stained fur.

**Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while, I just wasn't sure how to lead from our previous point to this one, hope I did a good job. (Ps, should I keep it rated T or up it to M? I'm not great with rating so what do you guys think?)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: No**

**Mira's POV**

Other sobs of grief and loss sounded in my ears, but I didn't care about the stupid Vaporeon. I only cared that my first and only friend, was… was… _gone._ I felt a paw prod my shoulder. My eyes, red and swollen from falling on my face and crying, turned to see the shiny Umbreon. "You do know that you can't stay here… not forever. We should get moving-" "We? I never said I was coming with you." I hissed icily, still blaming them for Tyler's death.

"In your condition it wouldn't be wise to travel-" "What? Alone?" I growled, my fur bristling defensively. "I can't just leave Tyler's body here." I said stubbornly, not meeting his gaze, "he meant the world to me." I glared, resting my battered face on Tyler's shoulder. "You loved him?" He asked, his tone unreadable. Not knowing the answer to that myself, I stayed silent. "Don't worry, those bands have a pulse check and a tracker built onto them. The Aura kingdom knows he's dead and where his body is, they'll come and get him soon," he said, turning to the dead Vaporeon. "They'll come and get my brother as well." The Umbreon sighed sadly, his amber eyes softened with sorrow. "He… he was your brother?" I whispered, not meeting his gaze. The Umbreon nodded, "yes." "Is the other Umbreon your brother as well?" I asked quietly, my voice heavy with grief.

He nodded, gesturing for the other Pokémon to leave the Vaporeon's corpse. Clearly heavy-hearted, the other Umbreon slunk to his brother. Once the other Pokémon had come to his brother's side, he spoke. "Jett, should we… should we get going now?" He asked. The large shiny Umbreon gave a curt nod, turning to me once more. "You sure you don't want to come? You look pretty beat up." He said, looking at my face and paw. "I'm staying here." I growled. "No you're not." The shiny Umbreon growled right back at me, gripping me by my scruff, dragging me a couple feet away from Tyler. Too weak to really fight back, I just went limp, my eyes dull until he dropped me. "Who are you?" I hissed, looking about as threatening as a newly hatched Eevee. "I am Jett, next in line for the Aura Kingdom's throne." He growled, taking a seat beside me. "Liar!" I snarled, "the kingdom hires Pokémon that are desperate for cash to take their children's places in the games!" The normal Umbreon looked quite angry at my comment, as he quickly pinned me to the ground. "We. are. the. real. deal." He snarled right back at me. I shot him a glare, gasping for breath. "Yeah right, and I breath fire!" I spat, struggling beneath his grasp. "Enough!" Jett snapped, pulling his brother off me. I quickly caught my breath, struggling to my paws. "Well as much as I want to travel with a bunch of royal-wanna-bes I think I'll take my chances by myself." I glared, tucking my probably infected, pussy, bloody paw against my stomach as I began to limp away. "Good riddance." The younger Umbreon snorted, his blood red eyes shooting daggers at me. I gasped as I stopped, unable to move. My eyes darted from side to side, only to see that I was caught in some kind of veil. "What in Arceus's name?" I was forced to turn around. "Jett… let her leave please! I don't want her to come!" The Umbreon complained.

I looked at Jett, and I understood. "Psychic?" I asked, wanting to kill him. He nodded. "There's something special about you… I just know it." He growled, placing me beside his brother. "Tell me your name." Jett demanded. "Mira." I mumbled, not making eye contact. Jett nodded, turning to his brother. "Introduce yourself." He growled. "Ciar." Ciar growled, glaring sharply at me. I returned his hostility with my own glare, not looking forward to traveling with them. "Fine," I spat, "I'll come with you two."

**Ciar's POV  
**Ok, worst day EVER. First I watch my brother get brutally murdered, now this stupid Leafeon is coming with us. Thanks a lot Jett. Thank you. _But yet, I'm a little… excited? Having a new face around. Sure, she glares at me every time I even look at her and she doesn't say anything too nice, and she called Jett and I a bunch of 'wanna-be-royals' but… Ok I don't know where I'm going with this._ I sighed, my eyes constantly straying to her grossly swollen paw, but I didn't ask anything so I didn't get my head bitten off. Only Jett dared to speak to her, and much to my annoyance, she doesn't bite his head off. She has this weird respect for him… Maybe it's because of Jett's psychic attack? Or his intimidating size? His shiny coloring? I don't know. All I know is that I can't stand her, and she hates me just as much, maybe even a little more. Mira's really jumpy too, like every time someone steps on a twig or the wind ruffles the leaves on the trees, she gets all tense and looks around.

Mira turned to Jett, "wait a second… how do you know that those bands that were put on us in the beginning of the games had pulse checkers and trackers?" She asked warily, her eyes narrowed. "I told you, we're royals, we hear about every little bit of information in the Aura Kingdom." Jett growled, clearly not liking being accused either. Mira rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say…" I gritted my teeth, trying my very best not to tackle her and bit her sorry maimed paw off her arm. "Hey, you coming or what?" Mira asked dryly, stopping. I blinked. I hadn't realized that I'd stopped until she pointed it out. "Urm yeah coming." I stammered, trotting awkwardly after my brother and the cripple.

**Mira's POV**

_What in Arceus's name is he doing? _I thought, watching the Umbreon stumble back towards Jett and I. "Ciar, you alright?" Jett asked, waiting for his younger brother to catch up. He nodded, not meeting our gazes. I winced as my paw gave another throb. Apparently I don't hide pain well because Jett noticed. "I just saw some water a minute ago, you could dip your paw in it and I bet it'll help." He offered. I bit back a harsh retort and nodded, the idea of cool water soothing and cleansing the infected paw. Without another word, Jett took a sharp right and went deeper into the trees. I tensed and stopped. Ciar stopped as well, looking back at me. "What are you waiting for?" He asked, his right paw raised as if he'd stopped in mid step. My eyes narrowed. "Jett, if that's even his real name, could be trying to lure me into the thicker section of the woods so he can kill me." I glowered, my eyes glaring daggers. Ciar's eyes widened. "My brother would never do that!" He insisted. "You're delusional. If you'd grown up with him you'd know that." I gave an unladylike snort and wrapped my leafy tail defensively around my battered body. A blue glow shone from the depths of the forest. "You two coming?" Jett asked, his tone impatient. "No." I muttered quietly. "Yeah we're coming!" Ciar yelled, gripping my scruff and dragging me against my will into the forest.

**Sorry that took forever, and that it was short and probably sucked. I'll update a better, longer chapter soon I promise**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: An 'off switch'

**This is gonna be a good one, Jett's reasoning for bringing Mira with them will be explained. ^_^**

I dug my chipped and dirt encrusted claws into the dirt in an attempt to overpower Ciar, but four legs and an undamaged body is stronger than three legs and a battered body. I was easily drug into the thick forest, my protests and screams doing nothing to stop him. "Get moving!" Ciar snapped, clearly fed up with me and my attitude.

I shot him a grimace, tucking my infected paw against my stomach and weaving effortlessly through the trees. I stayed fairly far ahead of the dark type, my pride swelling in my chest. My eyes widened and I let out a shrill cry of pain as my one good front paw became snagged under a tree root, sending me into a face-plant. I felt teeth grip my scruff, heaving me back to my paws. I glared at Ciar. "I don't need your help." I hissed icily, the Umbreon's assistance towards me embarrassing and hurtful towards my pride.

Ciar glared at me, his hatred for me clear as day. "Then I won't help you, ever again no matter what the situation."

I waved him off with the flick of my tail, not showing how much pain I was actually in. Only the strong win this game.

XXXX

A small pool of glistening water came into my view, making my pace quicken instinctively. My paw-steps slowed when I saw Jett drinking from the pool, his eyes looking warily behind him as if expecting an attacker to ambush him as he drank. His ears pricking as we approached. He lifted his head from the water, turning to face his brother and I. "What took you two so long?" Jett growled accusingly.

Ciar glared at me as he spoke. "Cripple here didn't want to go into the forest."

"Can you blame me?" I hissed. "This is after all a killing game. This could've all been a trick!" I snarled, hostilely glaring at the two brothers.

Jett sighed, turning back to the water's edge. "Mira, you drink and Ciar, don't call her cripple." He growled, taking another drink.

My ears flattened with resentment at his comment. I heard Ciar grumble something under his breath, but I couldn't quite decipher what he had said. I limped further away from them, hoping that my unwelcoming nature would eventually get me kicked out of the group.

Hesitantly, I dipped the swollen, infected paw into the water, gagging as puss floated up from the wound to the water's surface. "There's no way I'm drinking this now." I muttered, wincing as a fiery, sharp pain shot up my leg. I held back a cry of pain, quickly drawing the paw from the water.

_'Your greatest weakness is where your purest point is.' _The espeon who'd raised me since my hatching day's quote rang in my head, infuriating me. I stared at my reflection in the water, emitting a low growl at the sight of my mangled paw.

"Liar!" I screeched, lashing out at my reflection, ripples of water spreading as I attacked my reflection. I heard the thudding of paw-steps behind me, teeth gripping my scruff and heaving me away from the water.

**Ciar's POV**

"Ok, she's officially lost it!" I growled, watching Cripple fight with her own reflection. Jett left his spot beside the pool, sprinting to the suddenly enraged Pokémon. Without a single word, he sunk his fangs into her scruff, dragging her away from the water's edge.

"You happy now? Huh?" She spat, a new, unique, deranged hatred gleaming in her eyes as she thrashed angrily in Jett's grip. "See? You see just how far I've sunk? Do you? Do you see it!?" Mira screamed, her sides heaving with exhilaration.

Jett pinned Mira to the ground, freeing up his jaws. "I'm sorry, Mira." He sighed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, a newfound concern for the leafeon bubbling inside me. "I'm going to knock her out." He mumbled, his amber eyes beginning to glow, locking gazes with the suddenly enraged Mira.

Mira began to slowly stop screaming, only fidgeting a little before falling asleep. We both let out a sigh of relief.

"What was that?" Jett asked, not taking his eyes off her. I shrugged.

"Maybe the infection's gone to her head?" I teased, laughing a little. Jett glared at me, cutting my laughter short. "Sorry…" I muttered.

"It's fine." He sighed before picking Mira up, hoisting her onto his back.

"Why don't we just leave her? It'd be easier to travel without this psychopath attacking her reflection and yelling at everyone." I muttered.

"Because. I see potential in her, one that I haven't ever really seen in another girl before-"

"Oh no dude don't say what I think you're going to say." I pleaded, not liking were this was going.

"Yes, Ciar, I-" "B-but she's a psychopath, mentally unstable!" I stammered, my gaze drifting back to the still moving water from where Mira had lashed out.

Jett's eyes narrowed. "Her mind is set in survival mode because of the current environment, once it changes-"

"Her mind will stay _stuck_ in survival mode forever, Jett. She grew up in the poorest camp, she's used to having to be defensive and embracive just to survive. They barely get enough food in that camp, they don't get very clean water, nor do they get very desirable homes. Her parents are most likely farmers-"

"And how's she going to farm anything with only three paws?"

"Her vine whip! That's how she's going to."

"And what's going to happen to her in the winter? Barely any of the Leafeon make it through each winter, we only have two other leafeon in the village. TWO." Jett growled, his lips peeling back into a defensive snarl.

I shrugged. "Natural selection is all I have to say." I said with a smirk. I swear if he didn't have Cripple there on his back I would've been iron tailed in the face. Jett looked truly angry at me.

**Mira's POV**

My vision was blurred when I came to, I had no clue where I was. Arguing quickly filled me ears, it was obviously Jett and Ciar fighting. I forced my eyes shut as I realized that I was on Jett's back, making my body go limp.

"You'd better shut your mouth before I make you. Her disability and her heritage were not chosen by her. It's all luck of the draw." He growled, making the hairs on my neck rise.

"It's still natural selection." Ciar retorted, not backing down.

I flinched at his comment, knowing it was true. Nature has this game set up so I will die, even if these two do help me. Only oran berries have been permitted to grow here, no other berries that could help to heal infection, poison, or paralysis in order to make this a true test of survival. I already know that infection is what's going to be the death of me.

As the two continued to fight verbally, my ears stayed pricked for sounds, my nose constantly checking the air. I hadn't been listening to their argument until a very venomous comment slammed into me.

"Dude, how long will it take you to get it, her mind will be _stuck_, forever, in survival mode! It can't be turned off with her! She is STUCK!" Ciar screeched, stamping his paw angrily onto the ground.

I knew it was true though, it's how I was raised, it's just part of me now. Part of me wants to embrace the survival mode until the infection kills me, but another part wants to prove Ciar wrong, show him that there is an off switch.

_I may just fight through the infection just so I can prove that pain in the neck wrong. _I growled quietly to myself, hoping that the will to live would somehow be enough to survive the horrible infection.

I stiffened as a sound boomed in my ears. The brothers hadn't seemed to notice. Another group is watching… I just know it.

**Nice and early for everyone! I'm in the mood for this story so I'll try to write another one or at least start the next chapter after this. **

**~later ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Setting in

**I've been thinking a lot about this story lately so I'm working on this story the most, with Lost and WillowClan and Long Shadows and Innocence being secondary priorities right now. WARNING: There will be death in this chapter. Just one, but still, there will be death. **

I waited patiently for the group to show me if they were hostile or not, but I didn't know even what eeveelutions they were. A flash of purple caught my eye, but as soon as my eye turned to look closer at it, the color had gone. _Espeon. _I decided, the memory of my caretaker coming to mind, relighting my anger.

A battle cry sounded from the forest that surrounded us, only then snapping the brothers out of their everlasting argument. The Espeon that I'd seen just seconds before burst out of the trees, her tail coated in iron.

Before anyone else could react, I rolled swiftly off Jett's back, holding back a wince as my weight fell on the twisted paw. I coated my tail in iron, running on all fours despite the pain at the Espeon.

The two iron tails clashed, hitting each other with a loud clang. I was taken aback by the Pokémon's strength, the attack forcing me back fairly quickly. I took a new approach. I retreated my tail, jumping quickly onto the Espeon's back.

She gave a gasp of surprise as I sunk my fangs into her neck, the salty, sickening taste of blood quickly reaching my tongue. Originally, I had vowed not to fight, but after Tyler's death something changed in me; something inside was triggered, my fear and sorrow turning to rage and distrust.

The Espeon frantically tried to shake me off, in response I sunk my claws into her back. She gave another cry of pain. Blood, warm and sticky, began to flush into my neck fur, the feeling unnerving. I recoated my tail in iron, slamming it into the psychic Pokémon's skull.

We both fell with a thud, my teeth and claws still burrowed into her flesh. Realizing that I had won, I retracted my claws and released my death grip on her neck. My eyes widened in surprise. "I… I didn't get hurt this time…" I gaped, admiring my growing fighting skill.

My sides heaved with exhaustion as I lay on the ground, trying to regain strength. "Mira!" Jett's familiar voice rang in my ears.

I ignored the shiny Pokémon and turned to the now dying Espeon.

"W-why'd you do it? Why'd you attack us?" I wheezed, my energy sapped.

"He… he…" The Pokémon's voice began to trail off as soon as it began. "The… the jolteon… he promised… promised me protection… all I… I had to do was kill… you and those… two." She coughed, her voice raspy and fading.

I gave a joyless laugh. "Shouldn't have done it."

"I… regret… nothing." She smiled faintly, her chest rising one last time before stopping forever. My eyes narrowed with thought, barely noticing when Ciar and Jett helped me up. Suddenly guilt flooded me as I realized what I'd done. I began to tremble.

"I… I-I killed her…"

XXXXXXXXXXX

**Ciar's POV**

I narrowed my eyes. "Yeah, duh. In this game someone always ends up killing someone else. Whether you want to or not." I muttered, looking to the blood splattered body.

"And by the looks of it she was really stupid too. Three against one, with two having type advantage her. Idiot." I scoffed.

"S-s-shut-t up!" Her voice staggered as she slowly sunk into the pool of blood that sat at her paws.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She never wanted any of this. She never wanted the murder, the danger. She didn't want the kingdoms. She wanted none of it.

About fifty percent of all the Eevee that are hatched at the camps outside of the kingdom run away from it all, either joining a rivaling kingdom or becoming feral, living outside the law. I'm pretty sure Mira would've run away if she could. But that paw… she'd have no chance of getting far. If you're caught running away then you're executed. No excuse.

I would've left too, but I actually might have a future. If Jett dies than I'm in charge. Jett and I vowed that when we become rulers, there will be no Selection Course. It'll be over. We never told our father as it would crush him to know that we'd be destroying tradition.

I feel a little sorry for her, not being able to pick her destiny, but I'm not allowed either. If Jett dies than I'll be in charge of an incredibly powerful and successful kingdom. I can make it better, or I can make it fall. Same goes for Jett. But with his calm, collected, commanding nature, he'll make a fine ruler.

My red eyes looked to the sky. "The sun's going down." I observed, looking to Jett to see what we should do next.

Jett looked to the shuddering Leafeon before giving his answer. "I would usually say that we should keep going," He said, choosing his words with care. "But Mira is in no shape to travel." Jett finished, lifting the Leafeon out of the blood puddle.

Mira gave a wordless nod of agreement.

"Wow, Mira actually agreed with something you said. What's next? Is that Jolteon that killed Derek going to come out of the woods and hand us flowers?" I mumbled, watching as Mira flinched at my comment.

"He… he killed Tyler too." She murmured, clearly upset that I'd forgotten her former traveling companion.

"Get over it Mira, he's dead." I snapped, getting sick and tired of Mira moping about the Glaceon. "It's the Selection course! Only fifteen percent of those who enter the course come out alive! Of course that loser was going to die!"

Mira gave me a shattered glare full of hatred and loss. "He wasn't a loser!" She shrieked, tackling me to the ground. A shadow ball formed in my jaws, my gaze threatening. But Mira wasn't backing down.

"You disgust me!" Mira snarled, forming a ball of a light green substance in her jaws. "Enough!" Jett snapped, hauling Mira off me. "I am sick and tired of you two fighting!" Jett turned towards me. "You! Stop insulting Mira! You are what usually sets her off!" He growled, turning to Mira.

"And you, you need to stop letting what he says get to you. Ciar's just trying to provoke you." He said in a harder tone, but he didn't yell at her. Not like he yelled at me. Jett always let her off the hook, he always used a different tone with her. It's annoying.

Jett sighed. "Come on, we should just settle down right here and just to sleep-"

"No!" Mira interrupted, a look of horror flashing in her eyes. "We shouldn't sleep down here." She said hastily.

"Then where should we sleep?" I growled. Mira glared at me. "You two can stay down here and get murdered if you want, or you can get a brain and sleep in the trees like me." I scoffed at her comment.

"Fine." I mumbled.

Jett only gave a nod of approval. "Good idea." He said curtly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So Cripple lifted us into the trees, (some more gently than others) and we were going to sleep just as the moon rose. I have to admit, being up in the air like this covered by the leaves was comforting. No one can reach us from down there, let alone notice us. The last thing I saw before falling asleep was the pure, soft white gleam of the moonlight as it danced eligantly on the lake, the stars reflecting on the water's surface.

XXXXXX

I was shaken awake by a single paw. "Ciar? Ciar wake up." She whispered.

**Mira's POV**

I felt only a little guilty for waking Ciar up. I don't even really know why I feel the need to talk to him. But hey, Jett says we need to make nice so I might as well make an effort to befriend the arrogant Pokémon. "Ciar?" I whispered. "Ciar wake up." I commanded, watching as his blood red eyes slowly opened to my touch and voice.

"What do you want, Cripple?" He moaned, his eyes half closed.

I gritted my teeth at his insult. "Can we talk?" I asked.

My question seemed to catch him off guard, as his eyes shot open. "Um… I guess?" He mumbled, slowly getting to his paws, careful not to lose his footing.

XXXXXX

The two of us had switched trees, not wanting Jett to overhear us. "What is it?" He asked.

"I just wanted to… compare our life styles, you know, see how different they are." I lied.

Ciar rose an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure. You go first."

"Fine. As you know I'm from Camp .03, the poorest camp." I started.

"Alright, well I'm from the Kingdom of Aura, born and raised in the castle." Jealousy pricked at my skin as he so casually mentioned living in the castle.

"Well because of my 'disability', I was given two caretakers instead of one. An Espeon, and a Flareon. His name was Jake." I said sadly.

Ciar rose an eyebrow. "But caretakers in the camps aren't supposed to say their names." He said suspiciously.

I nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, but Jake was different. I called him Dad, and he treated me like I was his daughter. The Espeon would scold him for treating me like this, saying that it was wrong to get so attached to a… cripple…. like me."

Guilt flushed through Ciar's eyes as if he regretted calling me Cripple.

"But Jake and I didn't care what she said. Sure, I wasn't allowed to socialize or even lay eyes on the other eevee in the camp, but Jake played with me. He played tag, hide-and-go-seek, and ducklett, ducklett swanna with me. He insisted that I got a typical childhood despite my paw. It disgusted the Espeon. The main thing about Jake that made me truly love him was… he taught me to walk and balance and run and swim with only three paws. No one believed that I could ever walk. They all said my bad paw would just instinctively walk with the others, but Jake taught me. He tried even with all the doubts the camp leaders gave me. Jake… he was all I had." I paused.

"What happened to Jake?" Ciar asked, interest pricking his gaze.

"He… he died." I choked out the words. "Disease killed him. The doctor's medicine wasn't advanced enough to save him… he literally coughed up a lung." I explained, tears burning my eyes.

"The Espeon slapped me and told me to get over myself. So I did. Never mentally, but no physical grief was ever displayed in public or around the Espeon. Every… every time I get attached to someone… something horrible happens to them." I choked, remembering Tyler.

Ciar seemed to read my mind. "I'm sorry… but it's not because you get attached to them. You've just had bad luck, Cri-Mira." Ciar insisted, catching himself before calling me Cripple again.

"All I did in my childhood was play with Derek and Jett, eat freshly prepared gourmet meals prepared by chefs, read books, and get a little bit of battle training." He smiled, recalling his joyful childhood.

My ear twitched in jealousy. "Back in my camp, I was afraid to drink the water or eat much food in fear that it'd make me sick. And most of the time I would get sick, especially from the water. I've never had clean water before." I admitted, looking down at my paws.

Guilt prickled Ciar's skin. "I've only ever had murky water out here." He mumbled.

"I've also never read a book… nor have I seen one… are they good?"

"Not all of them, but most of the time I liked them."

A sharp pain pierced my arm, interrupting my train of thought, just above my infected paw. It began to throb in pain, the area growing warm and slowly growing in size. I winced.

"It's setting in." I whispered, forgetting that Ciar was there. He narrowed his eyes.

"What is?"

"The infection." I breathed.

"It's spreading and setting in."

**Sucky way for the infection thing to happen but whatever. Hope you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Good riddance

**Ciar's POV**

My eyes widened. "What?" I breathed, not believing what Mira had just said. Mira's tone grew impatient.

"My infected paw, idiot! The infections moving up my leg. Soon it'll infect my whole body and I'll die that way." She snapped, staring at her leg.

"But that's going to take a while. We'll be out of the games by then. And when we do, I'll make sure that you get medical attention." I assured her.

She shook her head sadly. "Believe what you want, Princey."

My eyes narrowed. "Don't call me Princey." I growled.

Mira narrowed her eyes right back at me. "Says the guy who called me Cripple." She said icily, carefully making her way back to Jett, leaving me feeling guilty.

XXXX

The sun had risen from behind the mountains, the sky shaded in purple and orange. Pidove and Starley chirped in the trees, gently arousing me from my sleep. Embarrassment heated my blood when I realized that both Jett and Mira where already up, eating oran berries that they must've collected without me. Seeing my embarrassment, Mira smirked at me, slowly chewing the skin of an oran berry in her teeth.

"Why do you eat the skin? Shouldn't you just peel it off and eat the good stuff?" I inquired.

Her smirk turned to anger and jealousy. "You can, but It'd be a waste of good food. Unlike you spoiled rotten royals, everyone at my camp ate whatever we got. We lost around ten or eleven eevee to starvation just last year because there wasn't enough food." She growled, still chewing the tough skin.

_Man she's good at making me feel bad! _I thought miserably, hesitantly taking a bite of the skin.

It was rough and tasted bitter. Jett choked the last bit of his oran berry skin down, greedily taking a bite of the soft, blue, sweet flesh before speaking. "And if we eat the skin, we won't leave anything behind for other Pokémon to track us." He said in between bites.

I suppressed a gag as the sour juices from the skin trickled down my throat.

"What is it?" She smirked. "Too raw and _pauper_ for you?"

I quickly swallowed the bitter blue skin and glared at her. "Nope. Not at all." I growled, peeling the rest of the horrible skin off the berry and quickly swallowing it. She snickered as my body shivered from the foul tasting skin. I wished that I hadn't swallowed it quite yet.

I should've spit the skin right over the Leafeon's face, but it was already slithering down my throat.

Jett continuously cast glances at Mira's paw and the oran berries. He tore more of the revolting skin off a berry, rapidly chewing it into a pulp and spitting it out at his paws.

"Mira, give me your bad paw." He demanded. Her eyes narrowed, drifting to the berry skin at Jett's paws.

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

He sighed impatiently. "Let me put this on your paw, it'll help." Jett insisted.

"Look, as much as I'd love to have your saliva and mushy berry skin all over my paw I think I'll pass." She said.

"It wasn't a question. I am your ruler, you will give me your paw right now." He growled, his amber eyes narrowed into slits.

She glared at him. "I don't have to listen to you," Mira said. "Even if I do survive this hell-hole I'm not staying in the Kingdom of Aura. I'm going elsewhere so you're NOT my leader."

"Well you're in the Kingdom of Aura's system right now. On the bottom of your back left paw you're branded with the Kingdom's symbol. You can't escape this kingdom no matter how far you travel. So yes, I so do happen to be your leader." He snapped, grabbing her paw.

Mira yelped in pain, quickly tearing her paw away from Jett. She shot him a glare before leaping onto the branches of a neighboring tree.

"Good luck finding your way out of here. I'm finding my own way. Besides, Tyler told me to head to the center of the arena to get medicine and food." She growled, quickly crossing trees again and again until she was nothing more than a speck in the distance.

XXXX

**Mira's POV**

How dare that Umbreon manhandle me like that? Or flat out say that I was only his subject, and that I can't escape the Aura kingdom no matter how far I run. I looked distastefully at the sun symbol tattooed on my paw pad, beneath the sun was my ID number tattooed in tiny letters and numbers that could be read only by a scanner.

I was basically just an object, a pawn in this society.

As much as I hated the two brothers, I'll miss them eventually. I know I'm gonna die, but at least I'll die alone on my own terms rather than have those two on me all the time.

The midday sun was scorching through the tree tops, making me sweat as I crossed through the trees. My ears twitched as they listened for any movement underneath me. After not seeing, scenting, or hearing any threats from below I climbed down my tree to escape the harsh rays of sunshine.

I winced when I accidently used my bad paw, hastily tucking it against my stomach. My front leg was still stiff and sore from tree-crossing and walking so much, as it didn't have another leg to help it along.

It didn't feel right without a traveling partner.

XXXX

**Ciar's POV**

Jett looked angry. Not an 'I'm going to kill her' kind of angry, but more of a concerned anger.

"Why did you let her leave?" Jett demanded.

I shrunk a little under his amber gaze. "She's quick even on three legs." I muttered, not making eye-contact.

He sighed. "Well come on, we have to find her before something happens to her."

"Why? She's still hardwired in 'survival mode', if she made it past day one without us then she can make it to the end without us. Besides, when father said to find someone for you, I think he meant a more… more elegant, neat figure. Not that wild mess."

"Why do you resent her so much?"

"Because I speak the truth! I spoke to her in the middle of last night! She's never even seen a book before, every one she dares to get attached to dies! Every time she showed any emotion at all her caretaker would slap her and tell her to get over herself! She's not even fit to be a farmer! She definitely can't rule a kingdom!" I snapped, trying to get the truth through my brother's thick, thick skull.

Jett shook his head, denying the truth once again. "Whatever part of her that may have given her a real personality was slapped or cried out of her." I said.

"Mira's true self is gone."

**Well Mira's flying solo, again. See you next time! REIVEW.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Ruby and Dazzle.

**Ciar's POV**

Jett and I hadn't really spoken since yesterday when Mira fled. He always had his ears pricked for even the slightest sounds, his nose was always scenting for the Leafeon, his eyes were always looking to the cripple.

I on the other paw, was looking for actual danger, like the Jolteon that killed Derek and Tyler.

The bushes crackled with movement, making me nearly jump out of my skin. Jett whipped around to face the bush too, looking with narrowed eyes.

"Show thyself!" He commanded, reverting back to the older English.

I longed to correct him, but my main focus was on the potential threat.

A Glaceon stepped from the bushes, looking around us. I took a step forward, taking in her full face: she had a nasty cut that was stretched across her right eye and a few burns on her flank. She breathed heavily as though just escaping from a fight.

"D-don't you underestimate me! Your leader m-may have burned me but I'm still fighting fit!" She wheezed, glaring bravely at Jett and I.

"Who are you?" Jett asked with narrowed eyes.

The Glaceon blinked in surprise. "Y-you're not going to kill me?" She asked in astonishment.

I shrugged. "Why would we? Resources are still available and I don't really know why we would want to kill you."

The Glaceon's cheeks became tinted a rosy pink when she laid eyes on me.

I refused to meet her gaze. Sensing my discomfort, Jett began to speak once more. "So who are you?" He asked again.

The singed Pokémon smiled. "My name's Dazzle, who are you two?" Dazzle asked, looking mostly at me.

Once again, Jett stepped up. "My name's Jett, and this is my younger brother, Ciar." I nodded.

"So what happened to you, exactly?" I asked, observing Dazzle's singed fur and long slash and burns.

"A Jolteon did this, he threatened to kill me if I didn't do what he said, I refused. So he thoroughly electrocuted me. That's how I got all burnt. The cut on my eye is from one of his follower's iron tail attacks." She informed, looking sadly at her pretty burnt fur.

Dazzle then looked Jett and I over. "What happened to you two?" She asked, looking at our scabbing wounds from the fight with Derek's killer.

"Same thing as you. I think the Jolteon that attacked you is the same who killed our brother, Derek, along with one of our other traveling companion's friend, Tyler. He also made this Espeon attack us, but… she killed her." I murmured, still embarrassed that I'd been too busy arguing to see the psychic type attack.

Dazzle flinched when I mentioned that Mira was a girl. "Who's you traveling companion?" She asked.

"Her name's Mira, she got mad at me and ran off earlier this morning though." Jett muttered, anxious to keep looking for her.

"I can help!" Dazzle blurted.

I opened my jaws to decline her offer, but Jett beat me to it.

"Sure, why not." He said. I suppressed a glare, not wanting Dazzle to think that I hated her already.

Dazzle's tail shot up in glee. "Thank you!"

**Mira's POV**

I walked down a narrow forest path, my body shivering from a fever that I'd gotten courtesy of my worsening infection. I longed to just collapse beneath one of the trees and bathe in the sunshine, but in this place, that's suicide.

_Why did I run away? _I thought miserably to myself. I felt a little hazy, but I forced myself to trudge onward.

_Can't wait to get outa this dump. _I thought, fantasizing what it would be like living outside a kingdom, being a lone Mightyena.

I jumped in surprise as a cry rang through the forest.

"RAH! I may have let the pathetic Glaceon go, but I ain't letting you go!" A familiar voice snarled. I saw electricity fizz on the outskirts of the narrow forest passage.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" A voice wailed, paw steps thudding across the mossy floor.

_That Jolteon… he won't kill anyone else on my watch. _I gave a low growl, forcing myself to weave quickly through the trees in an attempt to beat the murderer to the next clearing. I easily reached the opening that led to the clearing. I then waited.

A Flareon sprinted as fast as it could, clearly running out of steam. I then began charging solar power, as I knew the pursuer would be here in a matter of seconds. I saw a familiar yellow figure running towards the Flareon, not at all tired.

I took a deep breath.

"Three….

Two….

One…"

I unleashed my solar beam, hitting the Jolteon square in the shoulder.

And if I know anything about Jolteon, it's that a maimed Jolteon is a dead Jolteon.

"What?" He moaned, struggling to get up.

My eyes glistened with a cold fury. "Murderer!" I screeched, sinking my jaws into his neck.

"You!" He snarled, quickly recognizing me as my teeth bore into his neck.

The Jolteon sneered at my attempt of murder, using discharge to send me flying.

I landed with an ungraceful thud, my legs a tangled mess beneath me.

"You've looked better." The Jolteon grinned, trying not to wince from his now dislocated shoulder.

"Who are you?" I finally asked.

My question took him off guard, as he hesitated before responding. "Fine, I guess I can tell you, after all, you're about to die anyway. Name's Koroshiya." Koroshiya responded, charging his fangs up to deliver my killing bite.

I was done for. I let my head go limp, my eyes closed. I decided that I'd fought hard enough. But the bite never came. I opened half an eye to see that the Flareon had come back, shooting streams of flames at Koroshiya, who nimbly dodged them, despite his dislocated shoulder.

"So much for death." I muttered, firing an energy ball at Koroshiya, aiming for his bad shoulder.

He cried out in pain, indicating that I'd hit my target. The Flareon now had an easy shot and fired another flame thrower, singing the murderer.

The Flareon quickly rushed to my side, helping me up.

"Come on, let's go!" She cried, nudging me along.

I gritted my teeth. "So close." I muttered, giving a grunt of effort to keep up a trot.

"Thanks for helping me out there," The flareon said, her voice full of gratitude.

"He killed my friend, I didn't want him to kill another." I said simply.

"I'm Ruby, what's your name?" Ruby asked out of the blue as she helped me along.

"Mira." I grunted.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Ruby smiled.

XXX

**Ciar's POV**

"She's been here!" Jett announced, flicking his tail at a trail of paw prints.

"Oh! Let me see! I'm a great tracker, my caretaker back in Camp 0.2 taught me." Dazzle insisted.

Jett parted for the Glaceon, who began to sniff at the paw prints.

"Say, is this Mira a Leafeon?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yes." I said in astonishment.

"How'd you know that?" Jett asked suspiciously.

Dazzle smiled and flicked her tail at a bramble bush with some cream colored fur snagged on it. She sniffed at a paw print that jutted at an awkward angle. "Yikes, she's got a nasty one." She muttered, recoiling at the scent.

"What's wrong?" Jett asked, looking worried for the Leafeon.

"The paw print reeks of infected pus and fever." Dazzle murmured, continuing to follow the path. The paw prints became slurred, as though she had been running.

The prints cut corners around trees, narrowly missing the trees by only millimeters. The scents of fear and anxiety still hung in the air.

"She wasn't here very long ago. I think we may have just missed her by an hour." Dazzle said truthfully.

I nodded, "yeah the scents are still very fresh and the prints aren't even dry yet." I agreed, ignoring the blush that stained her cheeks at my comment. The tracks stopped at a clearing.

No one said a word.

Pools of still warm blood littered the grassy clearing, clumps of fur floating in each puddle. Most of the ground was burnt, almost as though something had set fire to the clearing. It reeked of smoke and blood, making the three of us recoil.

Jett's face was solemn.

"There's no bodies, Jett. And it's too soon for the guards to have hauled them away yet, so she's alive." I assured him.

Jett remained silent. "What's that?" Dazzle asked, flicking her diamond-shaped tail towards a translucent, bud-like glass flower in the middle of all the destruction.

Jett's eyes widened. "It's a… time flower."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Taking a different path**

**MIRA'S POV**

"So… what camp are you from?" Ruby asked, trying to make this less awkward.

It took me a moment to actually hear what she said. "Hm? Oh, camp? I'm from 0.3. You?"

"I'm from 0.1. Apparently if I make it outa here alive I'm going to be living in one of the nicer homes making dresses and gowns and stuff for fancy occasions. My caretaker said that in the kingdom there's a lot of fancy occasions, we only had one back in camp." Ruby chirped.

"Lucky." I muttered, "well, I'm supposed to be a farmer, but I'm not living in the kingdoms. I'm running away as soon as I get out of this, I'm not going to meet my parents or anything."

Ruby's eyes widened. "But why?"

"Because I may as well go back to my camp if I live in the kingdoms, the farmers get mud huts too, the only difference is that with the houses in the kingdom, there's actually some worn wood pillars to support the stupid thing." I grumbled, my eyes trained on the ground in front of me.

"But you? I'm not surprised that you're staying in the kingdoms. Sewists and artisans always get the nice houses with air conditioning and heating with nice cobble foundations and new wood and a good roof right near the markets and the castle itself." I said.

"You want to know where I'd be if I was staying? I'd be right on the edge on the forests, at least a mile away from the rest of you. They purposely put the lower income Pokémon on the forest edges so wild Pokémon and attackers kill them while they prepare themselves to attack." I spat bitterly.

"We're treated like trash, even though we're as good as the upper classed Pokémon. We made it through the course too." I said weakly, despair flooding my gaze.

Ruby flinched at my reasoning. We walked in silence.

**Ciar's POV**

"Can we open it?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the crystallized flower. Dazzle wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well I'm not walking in that." She grumbled, looking at the glistening pools of red.

"I'll get it." Jett snapped, walking unflinchingly through the scorched and bloody clearing, carefully gripping the flower in his jaws and trotting back to the group. Jett set it gently on the ground. Dazzle and I watched wordlessly as my brother's eyes glowed a white light, forcing the flower to open and spill its contents. The flower temporarily colored the blood bathed clearing in black in white, hiding the blood and burnt grass with the illusion.

We all gasped when the nearly transparent black and white Mira appeared in the middle of us, beginning to store her solar energy.

"What's she doing?" Dazzle asked. "I don't know… it seems like she's storing it for no reason-" Jett's voice trailed off when a terrified Flareon dashed in front of Mira.

I expected Mira to unleash her energy, but she didn't. It seemed like she was waiting for something else. I felt Dazzle stiffen beside me as another figure came into sight. The color was unclear because of the black and white scheme, but we all quickly recognized it to be the murderous Jolteon.

"That's him…" Dazzle whispered. "That's who hurt me." We all hushed ourselves when Mira began to murmur to herself.

"Three… Two… One…" She said, releasing her solar beam in a fraction of a second. The Jolteon was hit square in the shoulder and knocked away from the tiring Flareon. "What?" He moaned, struggling to his paws.

I felt anger pulse through my veins. I wished this wasn't just a vision of the past. Then I could finally get revenge on him for killing Derek. Mira's eyes were full of blood lust as she lunged at the temporarily dazed Pokémon.

"Murderer!" She shrieked, sinking her fangs into his throat.

"You!" He growled, instantly recognizing the grass type, beginning to fight back.

The battle was brief, but a lot of blood was drawn. Most of the blood was Mira's because of the electrical burns that burnt off patches of her skin and melted her flesh to the bone. Jett probably had about three heart attacks throughout the replay of history, especially when the Jolteon almost actually killed her.

"I can't believe that she-"

"Just gave up?" I finished Jett's sentence.

"I… just didn't realize how miserable she really was…" Jett said sadly, looking at the puddles of blood on the charcoaled landscape.

"Well just sitting here isn't going to help us, let's get going." Dazzle insisted, following the bloody paw-prints that led back into the woods.

XXXX

**Mira's POV**

"You feeling better yet?" Ruby asked, watching as I used my third synthesis.

I nodded, "yeah… Just give me two more seconds then we can keep going." I murmured as I continued to bathe in the sunlight, my minor wounds closing right before my eyes, small scars taking their place. Flesh began to cover my bones again, skin following. My leaves however, remained tattered and ripped and burnt. I knew that in about a week they should be spick and span once more. If I make it that far anyway… I got to my paws and stretched before glancing at the Flareon.

"So you're sure you want to hang around me?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

Ruby nodded, "of course! My old traveling partner, Whitney, was killed three days ago, and I just don't feel safe without someone with me."

My eyes turned softer and sympathetic, "I'm so sorry."

Ruby shrugged. "What are you gonna do? She was an Espeon who loved sewing even more than I do. That Jolteon that calls himself Koroshiya ambushed us, and we got separated. I heard a blood-curtailing scream, so I just assume that he got her." Ruby explained, looking at her paws.

"I used to travel with a Glaceon, but he was killed by Koroshiya too. I thought I killed that monster after he got Tyler but I guess I didn't. He's stronger than I thought." I admitted, my brown eyes looking at the sunlight that drizzled through the thick forest's top.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Anyhow, I was thinking… maybe we should leave the forest. Maybe take the canyon route instead, sure, it's more open, but there's plenty of ways through it. And, there's not a lot of water and ice types that can hurt us over there." Ruby explained, awaiting my response.

"Yeah, but there's gonna be some fire types that could easily kill me." I contradicted, not wanting to leave the safety of the forest.

Ruby thought for a second before suggesting something else. "We could take the plains," she suggested.

"Well… I guess that could be better… there's just one problem. Koroshiya could easily follow us through that, and there's not very much water or food for us."

"Come on! Please let's just leave the forest! I can protect you from the Flareon traveling through the canyon!" Ruby pleaded, desperation growing in her gaze.

I bit my lip, knowing that I was going to cave.

"Fine!" I snapped.

Ruby's eyes brightened. "Thank you!" She squealed, hugging me.

I hadn't ever been hugged until now, and I didn't like it. "Ok… you can let go now." I grumbled, waiting for my new official traveling companion to let go of me.

"Sorry." She mumbled, hastily letting go of me. "Now come on! The canyon's this way!" She smiled, bounding vivaciously through the trees.

I sighed and followed her grudgingly.


End file.
